Love's Shadow
by fishylishy
Summary: -2nd in TriShadow trilogy, sequel to Blood's Shadow- Midna is trapped in the Twilight Realm, under careful watch of Dark. Suddenly, she is blessed with a power from the Light Realm that could help her escape...at a price. -COMPLETE-
1. Prologue: To Be Had

**Well, let's see. There's not much to talk about here; I'd like to obviously thank my reviewers for the wonderful support and some artists for inspiration…of course Bring Me To Life by Evanescence (the band that was wonderful and shall never be forgotten, even if they are broken up!), Frontline by Pillar, Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park, Given Up by Linkin Park, Whispers In The Dark by Skillet, and The Last Night by Skillet to name a few.**

**This little prologue, in fact, inspired heavily by The Last Night, so…yea. Enjoy.**

_You come to me with scars on your wrist; you tell me this will be the last night feeling like this._-The Last Night by Skillet

A Goddess of Light had once supposedly told followers that "darkness descends, but light will cut through, and that eve will be the last you spend in darkness". And that mid-eve in the Twilight Realm, the saying was my philosophy.

I, as usual, was ending the day by pressing my hand against the empty frame of the Twilight Mirror, tracing my hand along its delicate gilded features. I envisioned myself pressing my palm against its glass, letting it cast open a portal. I did not feel anything when I did this; I was too numb—too friendly with anguish to even notice its presence anymore.

Black, square, inky drops of rain started to fall; marking the nighttime's descent. I stood, letting the rain flip my bangs over my eyes. I didn't feel coldness nor did I feel warmth, my body concealed with a black cloak.

There wasn't much to do or say about the two weeks I had been in the Twilight Realm. One second, I was screaming Link's name and his hand was slipping away from mine, the next I was in the Royal Infirmary, twelve doctors hovering over me.

I had wailed several times, cursing and trying to find Link's hand. The doctors had informed me that a man—Dark—had yelled out for help because I had taken a blow from a nearby Shadow Sniper right when we were slipping into the Portal; thus the "reason" he shattered the mirror. What a laugh—Dark concerned about _my_ safety.

Obviously, I did not believe him. When they told me that story, numbness flooded me, that anguish that I couldn't feel. While I was knocked out, Dark had taken "temporary" control of the crown, and until the doctors cleared me as stable, I could not resume my duties.

_Wonderful. My kingdom is in the hands of a psychopath. That's lovely._

Sometimes I would become lost in a train of thought, a question I had never asked, and I would turn to say "Link, did you really—" only to realize that I was alone in a hall or in the central square.

After a while, I got used to it. It wasn't unusual for me to just stop and let my eyes glaze over in a sheen of tears, gurgling out sobs and whispering fragments of names, places, weapons. "It's a side effect of trauma," The doctors would say to Dark when he acted in his false, cheesy "worried" personas. "She'll be fine, just wait for a while."

On that particular evening, I went to my room without stopping by the dining hall. My mind and body ached. My soul was a caged dove, fluttering its wings, begging to be free. I was the broken child, left alone to sob and cry, to be laughed at and kicked.

My room was a large dome, decorated with grand furniture, alike to Zelda's, but worlds apart.

In the Twilight realm, it is a peaceful spell that is commonly used after losing a loved one. It can transform the room around you into a screening room of sorts; letting you watch a memory or just a scene that your subconscious creates on random.

I walked to the windowsill and blew out the candle, letting darkness cast over the room. "Vavir, shakeesh," I uttered the spell's key and the world faded into a vignette around me.

A couple was walking along the shore line of a calm spring. The woman was frail, lean, gray-white skin and bleached hair with mossy eyes. A face I knew all too well—sharp, hardened, attractive—walked next to her, laughing. They splashed each other, the sunset casting rays of golden light onto their skin. I smiled at the pleasant scene that I had created, the happy skin of a fairytale.

"The illusion is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

A hand washed through the spell, ripping through the scene. I fell backwards with a cry of surprise and I rolled to my feet, gritting my teeth in preparation to take another fist.

"I've told you not to dwell on the past, darling, the doctors say it doesn't bode well," Dark mocked. I didn't move. Instead, I closed my eyes, listening for his predatory movements. I heard the skid of a teleport and then his harsh hands on my shoulders, his lips at my ear. "You really should listen to me."

"You have _no right_ to order me around. I've done my part of the deal. Our deals are done. I hate you and I always will, you sick _cur,"_ I snapped. A little vein of numb anger flashed in my vision but I ignored it.

He struck me, harder than he had the last night but in the same place—my left cheek and left side of my head, the place Link used to caress—and I went flying, landing on the floor in a broken heap. My body wailed and my caged soul thrashed, _screaming_ at me, begging me to go free.

I spat rusty, salty blood. "You can hit me, you can break me, but you're too stupid to know it doesn't do anything. _I am numb._ Your blows don't hurt me anymore. They can't."

Dark laughed. "Or so you think."

"What makes you think you'll be able to change that?"

"Oh, you haven't heard."

I stood, brushing the blood from my cheek. "There's nothing to be heard."

"The ruler of the Twilight realm cannot be alone in his or her role. The Royal Council naturally decides a mate," He responded, casually leaning against the bedpost where I lay.

I laughed. "You're kidding."

"Oh? The lists are up, go see for yourself." His gaze was sturdy…like…almost like he was serious. I frowned, jumping to my feet and running from the room. I ran down the hall, gasping for breath as I passed the Throne Room's entrance and the Palace doors. A few guards nodded at me as I ran towards the circular council room. When I entered, I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it. A little voice of agony whispered in my ear, tempting me to feel pain and horror and shock.

There was a crinkled paper on the wall. _Pairings._

**Vicki Va'hi—Vincent Faior.**

**Lisi Sas—Josh Caioi.**

**…**

**Princess Midna—(temporary) Prince Dark.**

I groaned, collapsing backwards. A strong set of arms caught me and a set of lips poised at my ears, whispering.

"There is a wedding to be had."

**Well, there you go. Love's Shadow Prologue was very fun to write. In case you're wondering, I **_**promise**_** I won't sissy-fy Midna into falling in love with Dark, a la Kate on NCIS. (Honestly, Kate, was there something in Ari's eyes when HE SHOT YOU DEAD?!)**

**Umm, in other news! (Oh, I KNOW you read this story to hear my babbling!)**

**  
If you were listening to The Last Night by Skillet, as I am…you can be assured that the male role in the song isn't Dark in the story. Hmm, who could it be….? Link? But of course!**

**Yup. I feel pretty good—refreshed, even! I've got Blood's Shadow all done—yess!—and now I've officially started on Love's Shadow. Again, there are three parts to the TriShadow series.**

**Blood's Shadow**

**Love's Shadow**

**Death's Shadow? (Might think of another name for it.)**

**((Let me tell you. I'm on my way back from my little hiking/road trip—it was fun, by the way, we hiked a little and went White Water Rafting in a Class 4 river—and I **_**do not**_** agree with my family's choice in music! IF I HEAR ANOTHER 60's SONG, OR ANOTHER PERSON CALLS MY MUSIC ANTI-CHRIST…someone will die. I swear.))**

**Yea, okay. Shutting up now. Give me your feedback or just stone me to death, I don't care.**


	2. Chapter 1: Power

**I debated with this chapter a little; figuring out what to do with it…and enjoying the shocked reviews. You guys are a wonderful audience and I am GLAD to be writing for you all!**

Serenity.

It's not peace; it's _numbness_. There is nothing to describe, no battle to fight. It is quiet.

You remember me, don't you? Midna. Midna the imp, Midna the Twilight Princess, Midna the six foot giant. The novelty of my name wears off after a while.

But I wasn't thinking about my name at the moment. A cold, creeping feeling was racing over my skin in a current, bringing dimness to the long since abandoned "punishment chamber". When the Witch Slaughters—from that story that I had told Link—had taken place, this had been the chamber used to kill. The walls were mossy stone, the floor was cold, moist dirt. The room itself was small—maybe the size of Link's living room.

I, on a usual basis, would be praying for the lost souls at the worn down alter. But on that occasion, my head buried in the cradle of my hands, I was much too numb to be praying.

There was a musty air to the room, like nobody had been down there for a while, like the blood that was in soil was the only company the place had gotten for a while. The cracks of my chapped lips, parched and ready for water, seemed to protest as I drew in another breath.

Something in me flashed, my throat tightening in a choked off sob. "_Damn!_" I cried, slapping my fist down onto the moist ground. I expanded my tense fingers, imprinting my hand's shape into the ground. Tears pooled around my eyes.

_I shouldn't be here,_ I thought. _I shouldn't be waiting to wear the ring with a demon's calling card on it. I should be basking on that damn roof with Link, absorbing the summer's sunlight. I should be laughing and smiling. I shouldn't be here._

But I was.

I sighed, crossed my legs and drew in a long breath. I wondered what my dress would look like. The Twili, as a tradition, wore dark colors to formal occasions. We enjoyed short clothes in exotic designs.

My thoughts wandered back to my last night in the Light Realm. Zelda, gorgeous in that silver moonlight, face soft and caring like a sister. She would look pretty, maybe standing in a long white gown with ivory fishnet and red flowers. Maybe Link would stand next to her. I smiled, a little touched by that thought.

Darkness seeped through the cracks of that idea. Like a picture book, I could see Link and Zelda standing in white by each other, laughing and smiling in a sunlight filled chapel. But the flip of that was me, wearing a skimpy black gown next to Dark in a perpetual realm of Shadows…

Was that fate? Really? Was I doomed to nothing more than a bitter sacrifice? Would I always be bathing in cold blood; always an empty shell, soul half ripped out?

It was this impossible, dark blackness that had become my soul. So tangled. So glowing. So powerful. So diverse, housing love and hate…

Destiny fucking sucks.

/

I ended up falling asleep on the moist floor of that room, tucked away from the rest of my realm. Pleasant dreams filled my sight and I enjoyed them, breezing through them ever so casually…

"Dwelling on the past, now are we?" A sharp hand struck my cheek. I gasped, heart racing, and my eyes shot open. A crimson glare met them—eyes I recognized. Dark. "Clearly you didn't hear me…you're engaged."

"Damn you," I spat, rebellion alive in me once again after dreaming about Link.

He struck me once, twice, three times.

I crumbled into a heap, motionless in the stinging anger and pain that was racing through my body. Dark sneered. "You're not broken yet," He mocked. He raised his foot to kick me. I clenched the soil, ready to roll.

Dark's leg lurched towards my face too quickly. I stiffened and readied myself for the impact, but then he froze.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

Confusion and panic swept through me. Dark's gaze was fixed on my hand, so I glanced at it.

My hand was glowing bright white. The soil under it was pure red. "What the hell?" I muttered. He didn't hear me. "Hey, dumb ass, want dirt in your eyes?"

He didn't hear me, still.

And then I realized why. I was moving, but I hadn't even moved my hand. I looked at myself again. I was transparent. I felt weak and dizzy. My solid form danced in front of me, right hand glowing bright white, embedded with the red of the soil.

"Whatever you're doing, it's not going to help you in the long run," Dark smirked.

Me—solid/uncontrolled form me—didn't respond. Instead, "I" slapped him square across the face. The white hand made contact, he yelled, and flew backwards, slamming into the wall. The room seemed to tremble and then grow silent and still. The solid form that had left me swung back into the _real_ me and I gasped at the feeling—like air returning to my lungs. My hand dimmed until it was blue again.

Breath rushing out of my lips, I managed a weak smile. "Like that?" I asked him. He groaned and, using the wall for support, pushed himself up.

"Whatever that was, it's not going to help you ever again, I assure you," Dark snapped.

"Whatever you say," I whispered, shocked and a little frightened, but proud nevertheless.

He flashed out of the room and I looked at my hand. I tensed my muscles, trying to make that power reappear, but it didn't. And I knew that something was very, very wrong…or very, very right. A grin slipped across my face.

And so it begun.

**Okay, I'd like to thank the following songs for help with this chapter:**

**Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin **

**Time of Dying by TDG**

**Never Too Late by TDG**

**Comatose by Skillet**

**Breath by Breaking Benjamin**

**And Peaches for our "five minute miracle writing" sessions. ((We should TOTALLY do that more, the result is awesome, isn't it?)) Check out her story, These Things Will Change!**

**On another note, happy 4th of July! Enjoy the fireworks, be safe, don't get drunk, don't get eaten, don't cut yourself, don't get blown up, and don't go in a mosh pit.**

**  
Tell me what you think.**

**Lish  
**


	3. Chapter 2: When Death Comes

**Okay. I got a lot of PM's asking about what a "Five Minute Writing Session" is, so here's a quick answer.**

**Basically, there are at least two people that are going to write something. They'll both write for five minutes while listening to music and then tell each-other what they're listening to and what's going on in the story they're writing. It's really fun.**

**Umm, anyway. The songs I'm listening to for this chapter that I think you should all listen to are Invincible and Rebirthing by Skillet.**

My right hand was hand was shaking uncontrollably, just convulsing with what I assumed was shock. Spasms of pain jerked through my arm. I tried to open my eyes but all I saw was blackness. Something was just _slamming_ into my hand. I yelped out, terror and adrenaline raggedly present in my breath.

I lifted my other arm over my eyes. I heard a grunt of protest and then my arms were pinned at my sides. "_Stop!_" I ordered.

"Impatient, impatient, my darling," Dark muttered. Something slashed deep across my hand. I yelled. "_Shut up!_" He insisted.

My heavy breathing escalated. My heart was racing, the pain harsh on my hand. "I don't even know _how_ I did it! _STOP!_" I pleaded.

Senses tingling, I tried to assess what was happening. Because of the blindfold, I couldn't see, so I went on feeling and hearing. Pain was uneven in my arm, sharp but ragged. My hand felt wet and something was stinging it.

"Almost done," Dark muttered, voice at my ear. He was lifting me. I thrashed, cursing as he dragged me across stone floors. My room? I felt something cool at my cheek. "Don't scream too loud," He cautioned in a mock. He picked up my throbbing arm, I groaned, and he thrust my hand through something.

I wailed shrilly, the pain flashing in suddenly. "_DAMN!_" I shrieked and wailed, the glass from the window sinking into the flesh of my hand. It was biting, clutching and not falling out. I fell backwards, bashing my head on the floor, agony roaring through my body. My hand—my broken, bleeding, glassy hand—seemed to pulse with white color, faltering.

Dark called out a "Midna! Midna, what happened?" in his fake sense and then glared at my hand. "Stop trying to fight!" He hissed.

"I'm NOT!" I shrieked, hysterical.

My hand, despite its wounds, started _glowing_. Brighter, brighter, draining the red from the blood and turning white. I panted, tears and pain rioting in me. Dark cursed and raised his foot, slamming it into my head. I rolled, blackness ringing in every corner.

The white, draining from my hand, darkened back to red. I heard yells, perhaps distance in the palace about some accident…me?...and then my vision went black.

/

"Seems she was having a dream of sorts. Her hand wounds are bad, but she'll be able to use her hand again in a week or so. Until then, we'll have it in a cast."

"Is it trauma—will it happen again?"

A cloud of voices, thick and swirled in my ears, echoed in and out of focus. I felt like I was running a marathon, like I couldn't breathe enough, like my air was being _cheated_ from my lungs. I gasped when pain would shake my hand and I would try to open my eyes, but I couldn't bring myself to awaken.

/

"Water," I croaked, my lips burning in their chapped texture.

The sweet doctor—Rosavi, I think—at my bedside spun on her heal and handed me a wooden cup with murky liquid in it. I raised it to my lips and drank it, chugging it halfway before spitting it out. It was so bitter. "What is this?!" I hissed, bolting upward in bed.

"Water, miss!" Rosavi raised a hand to shield herself, like I was going to hit her.

"It's not water!" I yelled, thrusting the cup in her face. Her eyes widened and then narrowed as she looked up at me, tilting the cup in my direction.

The water was clear cyan.

"That's _not_ what I drank!"

"Ma'am, I saw you drink it myself—"

I raised my hands to clutch my head. The world, a Gaussian blurred plain of fractals—clearly a sign I was about to lose consciousness—spun around me as my hands made contact with my forehead. My right hand was lost in a bleached white wrap of linen; a makeshift cast. The cast shook and I moaned, my head _throbbing_ underneath my own grasp.

/

My eyes closed and when I opened them, all I saw was blackness. It seemed like I was in an illusion while I lay unconsciousness on the hospital bed. But I was not alone in this vision. "_You!_" I screamed. I turned on my heel. All I could see was blackness, but I _knew_ someone was there with me.

Anger rose in my blood and I threw myself into the darkness. Pain flashed in my hand and wet liquid trickled down from my neck. Blood.

I couldn't bleed out in a dream.

I pushed myself to the edge, searing pain branching through my body. Terror and adrenaline rip-roared in my vision as I outstretched my uninjured hand—my left hand—and readied a bolt of Shadow magic.

He came swiftly, tackling me in the darkness. I released the bolt from my grasp and I felt the blow strike his shoulder, but it was not enough. I slammed my fist into his body but I craved more. I wanted to fight him more; I wanted to take him down.

"_You drugged me!_" I screamed as he struck me with a ray of magic. I rolled and groaned in pain; the energy running over my skin in a current. Agony rung in my ears, every noise echoing and magnifying.

"I needed you to be drugged," He chuckled in my ear, pinning me against him. I gasped and thrashed.

My vision blurring quickly, I raised my foot and kicked his shin. He crumbled behind me and I took the chance to ready a whip of magic and to raise my leg.

He came at me and I whipped the spell at his stomach. Dark tried to block it, lunging for me. I landed a blow to his crotch and he fell to the ground. I gasped for air, trying to catch my breath and block his blows that would come.

"_You_ are injured, lying in a bed, doctors trying to figure out why they can't even use their magic to shock you awake. You are fighting me with your mind and yet it seems you're fighting not me, but yourself. Midna, _you_ can't accept what's happening," Dark lurched to his feet and slammed my body into the edge of the blackness. He held me there, restraining me from fighting him.

"You're _lying_," I hissed, anger leaking into my voice, dripping from me with my blood. My right hand throbbed.

"You can't defeat me." His voice was a whisper at my ear.

"_I can, you—!_"

Dark muttered something and a wave of magic shuddered from his body, into mine. I wailed as that magic rotated me, pinning me onto the floor.

He turned me onto my back and I screamed as loud as I could, clawing at him and not really getting anywhere. Dark's fingers, purple and cyan with Shadow Magic, were drawing close to my forehead. "_No!_" I whispered. I squirmed, terror reigning me. "_Don't!_"

Dark laughed and brought his fingers down on my forehead. I screamed, thrashing and biting and lashing out, my wail ringing out, piercing me, _ringing_, cursing…

He pulled his fingers back, blood gushing from my head and following his fingers, dripping across my body, and all I could see was my grasp slipping from Link's as I disappeared into the mirror portal. _Goodbye._

**Cliff hanger. I know. I'm a bitch.** **Anyway, thanks, Peaches for the continued support in this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3: Snow White Queen

_I hate feeling like this; I'm so tired of trying to fight this. I'm asleep and all I dream of is waking to __**you.**__ –_Comatose, Skillet

_You belong to me, my snow white queen, there's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over with._—Snow White Queen, Evanescence

The broken bird at your feet.

The whipping of the wind at your eyes.

The glow of light in the darkness, like a sharp lantern, and then sweet blackness again.

My body was somewhere, left behind me, bloodied and ruined. My spirit, as I felt it, was cold and glassy; such an image of what I had become. Of what was left of _me_—the only part that hadn't been sacrificed; so precious not to have been broken.

I was pinned down by something—my death, I supposed—and I wanted to open my eyes and see something other than this blackness. I went towards the bitterness of life but the blackness wouldn't let me go.

So the afterlife was prison. Okay, great.

I couldn't tell you what I felt there because I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel the pain of my broken and bruised body; I didn't feel the weight of the world on my shoulders; I didn't feel the missing presence of Link.

_I couldn't._

More than once, however, I felt like someone was calling me.

"_Okay!_ You've got me! I heard you! Now what can I do for you today? There's some great real estate down here!" I screamed out into the blackness.

"_M—Midna."_

"Yea?"

There wasn't a response.

"I've only got all of eternity," I muttered dryly.

"_Body…not dead_." Someone whispered in the darkness.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, _I_ am dead."

"_Not dead…dormant."_

"What in all of Din's name is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"_I can't hear you…feel for your powers."_

I rustled around in my mind, trying to saddle _any_ power that was left in me. I found a little breathe of a spell, just a little scent of it, and I latched onto it. "Now what?" I called.

"_Come through the portal."_

"Wait—what portal?"

Silence.

That power that I latched onto was bittersweet, I could feel it. It was warm and familiar; and yet I felt its darkness. I wanted to find the portal—anything, at that point, sounded better than rotting in blackness for eternity—that the voice had spoken of.

I closed my eyes in the blackness, letting time tick by. I _swore_ I could hear something, like a trickle of a stream or a rustle in trees, but I couldn't place the sound. I heard it my mind, and then I realized it was _me._ My dormant power.

Breathless, I launched myself into a mental chase. I _had_ to find that power. That gorgeous, shimmering power in my mind—I craved it. I needed it. I needed to feel the power on my hands in a fight, I needed to feel, I needed to scream, I needed to _live._

Tearing through the glass of my soul, I rammed myself through my mind's barriers and tried for that power. _Please. Please work. I need to live again._ Intense brightness filled my vision and I knew I had found it.

I yanked at that power in my soul, traced it, memorized it. I took a deep breath of it and my lungs caught, tripping themselves. That light flashed away and I felt myself fall through the cracks of time. I screamed, grasping onto the power, trying to find where I was—_what_ I was. Dead. Alive. I didn't care—I just needed air.

///

My eyes shot open to a scene of chaos. Of fallen pillars, of dirt, dust, and blood, metals and knives scattered on the floor. The old alter room? Ruins lay crumbled in the corners. I gasped in choked air, trying to restrain myself from hysterics.

Power left uncharged in my hands glowed bright white, sacred and wonderful, flowed through my body and replenished whatever fluids I had left. I was restrained against the wall—chained, most likely. I wanted those chains to be ripped off, to strangle someone with them. The energy from my hand lashed out onto the restraints and freed me. I fell to the dirt floor and rolled.

Immediately, I felt Dark lash out to strike me. I dodged and landed a solid kick to his face. He hissed, I rolled, and a wave of power vibrated from my skin. "I'm _not_ dead," I told him.

"You need to stop resisting," He remarked.

I responded with letting the vibrations on my skin explode into waves of power—hitting him over and over. "Do you like that? You like being beaten at your own game?"

"You aren't beating me at it. You're throwing a tantrum. Stop _resisting!_" Dark slammed his fist into the ground, the dirt coming up in a tornado. It flew at me but I held my hand up, reflecting it into his face. He held his hand up, projecting a shield over his body. I threw the power at him, whipping the barrier with it.

"You are a Twili using a Light Dweller's magic—it isn't holy, it isn't valid, it isn't _sane_. It'll take over you and kill you," Dark snarled. I laughed and threw it at him again. This time, however, I broke through the shield. The Light Magic dragged him to the floor.

"Kill me or not, it's your choice. But look at yourself. It's already tainted you," Dark smirked as my hands flew to my face.

In the middle of my face, there was a crease, running from my forehead to my breastbone. Startled, I felt both sides of my face. One felt smooth, the other a little like sandpaper. "Would you like to see?" Dark waved his hand on the wall and a looking glass appeared, waving slightly.

I turned and screamed in horror.

My face. My face. My _face!_

The scar, again, went in a line from my forehead to my breastbone, separating my torso and head in two halves. One half was perfect—normal, with flushed blue skin, amber eyes that were the color of Twilight.

The other was…incredibly _non_ normal. Skin the color of milk. Eyes the color of snow, tinted with sunlight. "_NO!_" I screeched. I turned to Dark, lashing out at him. "What have you _done_ to me?!"

"Not a thing. That power you wield is to blame."

I stepped towards the mirror, putting my hand on its cold surface. "No," I choked, seeing my own eyes; my own ruined appearance. I had _trusted_ that power. I had clung to it like a lifeline. Like it could save me. "_No!_" I sobbed.

"Now do you see? Look what you have done to yourself. Your soul is confused. It has torn itself in two, trying to protect the origin of the Twili—of you—and trying to rebel with the power of a Light Dweller."

"I didn't ask for the power!" I wailed.

"But you so gladly accepted it. You wrapped yourself in it."

Dark chuckled and put his hand on my chin. I backed into the surface of the looking glass. "Look what you've done to yourself…" He was grinning. I shrank back into the glass, pressuring it with my body. My hand sparked white and I hissed, jumping back suddenly. _I don't want your help! You've broken me!_ I thought. The pulsing, intense gold and white in my hand, like a dying fairy, flickered back to the milky shade that the corrupted right side of my body had become. I slapped my hand onto the surface of the glass, trying to hold myself up.

The glass shattered at my right hand's touch, cutting my hand. Blood dripped from the wound. I didn't dare to nurse it. "Now you know. Your power is defenseless against mine."

I hid my downcast gaze, eyes overflowing with watery tears.

Dark yanked a black and purple cloak from my Shadow Storage. "You will be looked in your room, under the careful watch of my friend Abby while I tour the minor lands, spreading the news of our engagement. You are to wear that cloak and have the hood shadowing your face at all times."

I didn't protest, because I agreed. I didn't sob because I knew I had been betrayed—betrayed by the Light Realm and their power that had cursed me. _Betrayed by Link. Betrayed by Zelda._ The thoughts pricked at my heart.

I saw Link's face in my mind—his sweet eyes, his careful and tender voice. I shook my head. _He betrayed me. _I told myself.

Then I looked at Dark—smug and not the least bit guilty looking. I saw Link's eyes again; distant in the memories of the past. My resolve wavered. _Did he?_

**I know, I know. Too much fighting. Not to fear, the next chapters will have more meat to them.**

**For those of you who read my story My Immortal; yes, it's the same OC. Abby the Evil Blacksmith is back and kickin', so let's watch out for her.**

**Those of you who know I was banned from Evanescence probably noticed the quote from Snow White Queen at the beginning of the chapter. Some of you even know I disobeyed my Evanescence ban this summer when writing the ending of Blood's Shadow. Well, I'm back listening to Evy…in a non banned state. I actually **_**told my mom that I disobeyed**_** and she bought more Evanescence for my iPod? Yea…that makes no sense. But either way, Evy helps me write and now I can freely listen to her! Her songs that inspired this chapter:**

**Sweet Sacrifice**

**Missing**

**Bleed (I Must Be Dreaming)**

**Weight of the World**

**Snow White Queen**

**All That I'm Living For**

**Good Enough**

**ANYWAY! Tell me what you think, as usual….**

—**Lish**


	5. Chapter 4: Starting The Hunt

"_But how far would I have come without mourning your love?"_—All That I'm Living For, Evanescence

/

"You know, nowadays, there is something called a lock. They are _extremely_ handy. You can get them in magic proof, child proof—they even come in red, like your eyes! Are those natural?"

_That_ was my method of trying to escape. I figured if I bored the guard, Abby, half to death, she'd decide to take a nap or something. I needed to snoop and being chained to the wall of my own bedroom isn't the best place to do so.

"My, my, you're feeling chatty," Abby responded, putting her hands on her narrow chin and staring in a sickeningly sweet way at me. She flashed a bright smile and cocked her head like a curious child. "How does one such as yourself end up with someone like _Dark_?" She said his name like he was Din.

"Forcefully. He actually had to drag me through the mirror. Do you like mirrors, Abby?" I copied her bright smile. "I bet you do. I bet _Mommy and Daddy_ bought you mirrors, so you could look at yourself in them all day. Did your Mother look like you? Did your Father?"

Abby flinched when I mentioned her parents. I grinned. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are they dead? How did they pass away? Where are they buried—if they're buried? In the Plains? Lovely land over there. We can go pick flowers and put them on your parent's graves—did your Mother like red roses? Did your Father like Ignisi stones?"

"My parents died in the line of duty. Their skeletons are no doubt rotting away somewhere in the Light Realm, where you and your precious dog boy slaughtered them." Her frown twisted into a smile. "What about _your _parents, Midna? Are they still down in the dungeons, living on slop? Would you like to go see them?"

I snorted a laugh.

"Wouldn't it make them _happy_ to see you ruined this way?"

Abby was a slender women, almost unhealthily slender. She had a narrow face, full only in the cheeks. Her lips were red like her eyes—bright, neon red—and her sleek black hair, hung past her ears, hung limp over her forehead. Her skin was dark, shadowed like Dark's—not blue, like any of the traditional Twili. Definitely from Dark's tribe, then. Her outfit was similar to his but in an extremely _slutty_ way—the plunging neckline, the yellow belt woven at her waist, the tunic folds that stopped barely at her thighs. A sword hung at her side, sheathed thinly.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Speaking of happiness, are you engaged? A woman such as yourself _can't_ be single, what with all the horny warlords running around. Speaking of warlords, do you fight with that sword or is it _purely_ for decoration?"

At this point, Abby rolled her eyes and unsheathed the sword, raising it over her wrist. "Do you like immortals, Midna?" Her voice turned icy. She pinched her own wrist with the sword. Blood, scarlet and bright, slipped from the slash, running down her pale arm. She smiled and I stared at the blood for a minute. The wound simply dried up quickly.

"If I spilled your blood fast enough, you'd die just the same."

Abby lunged at me. "But you can't. And won't. It won't get you back to your Link any faster, will it? Let's get back to reality, darling, _you can't ever go back._ Dark has scattered the pieces in two places in the Twilight Realm that a Twili such as yourself _can't go._ So you can't get the mirror back. Oh, wait, two pieces are in the Light Realm as well. Link could find them, no doubt, but he won't. _Why would he even want you back_?"

_A Twili such as yourself can't go._

But half of my soul was Hylian…

_Link could find them, no doubt, but he won't._

He'd never betray me. He'd get them back in place so when I put the other two in place on this side, I'd be able to get back…right?

"You don't know a single thing about what love can do to a person. The _hell_ he won't put those two pieces back in place!" I shrieked, lunging at her and slapping her square across the face.

Abby stumbled back, hand on her cheek. Her eyes flashed and she grabbed me by the throat. I gasped for air and swung my legs at her. _Dark won't let her kill me, _I thought. Abby smirked and thrust me into the wall. I crumbled to the floor, the world spinning. _I keep getting defeated. I can't go under…not again—_

/

I knew that darkness well. That plain of blackness—when I had been comatose—was all too familiar. I was there again, wondering about what Dark would do to Abby for this. I wondered if there was scarlet blood on the fair white Hylian half of me. I wondered a lot of things but most of all, I wondered where those mirror pieces were.

And how to get them.

It was like that stupid puppy in Castle Town. The one that would run at Link and he would pick it up and adore it, but _every time_ he went at Link, he'd cut his paws on the cobblestones. I oddly admired the dog's determination.

It was _just like that_ with me. I kept trying to find a way out of a glass box and I kept getting defeated, but I _kept trying._

Which brings me to my point—I wanted to know where those mirror shards were.

I sat in the darkness, thinking and waiting for myself to regain consciousness...

And then I heard that dreamy voice again.

"Shards...embrace your lightself."

"Sure, I'll get right on that!" I called sarcastically and wrapped my arms around myself. "Oh, this is helping!"

An exasperated sigh sounded. "If you want the shards…use your light-half…to…come through the portal."

"_Where?!"_

The voice turned hardened and demonic. "_Come to us._"

I dug my hands into the blackness. I wanted to run, to escape Dark, to get back to the Light Realm. Determination and _life_ filled my veins and I clawed onto the trust of that voice. I tensed myself and thought of everything I was fighting for, all that I was living for (**Author's Note: Credit to Evanescence for that "all that I'm living for" thing**), and flashes of Link and Zelda and Hyrule filled my mind, followed by the visions of their demise…

My scream echoed in every corner of my mind, sharp and painful. It was a scream of exertion, of anguish, of darkness, a scream of determination. A white tear opened in the darkness and I charged at it. I threw myself into it with every ounce of energy, of every scream left in silence, and I disappeared from the blackness.

/

My vision snapped into focus. I was outside. I was in the courtyard of the Twilight Palace. My whole body was translucent, however, and my whole body had taken on the Hylian half of my soul's appearance. I no longer looked like I belonged in the Twilight Realm. _But then again, I'm translucent, so I'm guessing nobody can see me._

I spun on my heel, looking for _someone._ Someone that could help me.

A woman stood, leaning against the mirror frame. She was just as tall I was and five times more beautiful. Golden curls hung on her shoulders, emerald eyes sparkled in amusement, a softly sharp face with all the determination I had given written on it, a lean frame, a white dress, and tanned skin.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Who are you?" I whispered. She seemed so very familiar…

"Tetra!" I gasped. Shock filled me. And then disappointment hit. That meant she was dead, no doubt.

Her eyes fell downcast. "Yes," Tetra responded. She dangled the key. "You've got to find those mirror shards."

"Why is my soul split?"

Tetra shook her head. "I'm not allowed to answer that. Now _come on._ You've got to find those shards, I said!"

"What do you mean, you aren't allowed?!"

She grabbed my hand, her grasp icy cold. "If you don't shut up and _hurry_ up, everyone that the both of us care for will _die_ in the near future. Do you understand?!"

I bit my lip, holding back the dozens of questions. I shook my head for a minute and then met her eyes. "Got any idea on where to start?"

**I felt a little guilty writing this chapter. It felt like **_**wayyy **_**too much fun. **

**Okay, I've got news! But before that, the songs of choice for this chapter:**

**Sweet Sacrifice—Evanescence**

**All That I'm Living For—Evanescence**

**Call Me When You're Sober—Evanescence **

**What If The Storm Ends—Snow Patrol**

**On with the news.**

**I am starting private school tomorrow! –insert random catcalls and clapping— Yes, yes, I know. I got all the good classes, got middle locker, **_**and**_** I finished off my shopping with a one-hundred-sixty-one-dollar-and-fifty-six cents shopping spree at my FAVORITE store ever, Hot Topic.**

**Uhm. The point of you all knowing that is that updates**_** might**_** be slow. Depends how hard private school is, because I've never gone to a private school before . XD **

**I will try to update as much as possible, but until then…tell me what you think of this chapter, and…**

**Adieu,**

**Lish**


	6. Chapter 5: Time Limit

**A/N: Yeah...there's not a whole lot I can say. I'm sorry...for not updating. Or responding to PM's. My school's theatre program required me to stay after school everyday till at least 6:30, then go home and do a bucketload of AP/Honor's homework. And maintain a 3.5 average. Easier said than done. Anyway, school's been out for about a month...and boy, I'm glad. I'm doing acting/modeling (professionally! turns out, I'm not as ugly as I thought :P) this upcoming year, which means I'll have a lot of travel time to be writing.**

**Very...veryy...veryyyy sorry. I just felt sooo bad about leaving this undone, as well as my other projects (my co-writers...you guys are going to receive some very long & detailed PM's. Basically, me begging for your forgiveness.)**

**To anyone who reads this...thank you so much. I hope you guys can forgive me for not even posting a notice. Without you guys reading and reviewing this, I wouldn't have felt half as bad. SO. You inspired me to come back and finish what I've started. ^_^**

**With no further chit-chat, let's get back to where we left off!**

We were running-no, not exactly running. Our feet were not touching the floating islands of the Twilight Realm, but we were flying through the air at incredible speeds that could have matched that of a horse in the Light Realm.

"Does Link have the other two pieces in place?" I yelled, impatiently, over the whoosh of our transparent bodies in the air.

"I don't know," Tetra's voice was hard-almost angry. I couldn't imagine why.

"Suit yourself, but we're in this together. You're the one keeping secrets," I wailed back at her. She turned to glare icily at me.

"We're wasting time. Just shut your trap, Midna."

It almost surprised me, hearing my name spoken like that. Not headed by Princess, but not looking down upon my name. Just...even. I was about to respond, but I didn't. No sense in fighting with her, I figured.

But then, a more important question popped into my mind.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" We were getting close to the Plains-no man's land, but it was usually very busy. It was our favorite recreational space-perfect for practicing magic.

"The darker lands. It's near were Dark is, now. Darkness Clan's home." I heard her grit her teeth.

"Can anyone see us?"

"Dark can."

_Shit._ "And how do you expect us to handle THAT?"

"He can't touch us, Midna. Besides, there's not a big chance that we'll run into him."

"So why are we going so fast?" I could feel the strength getting weaker inside of me. My spirit ached, it was not used to this kind of feeling of exertion.

"We're on a time limit," Tetra answered.

"What do you mean, time limit?"

"We've got about twenty-four-hours to find the shards. Your spirit can't leave your body for more than a day at a time, or your body can't house your soul anymore. Then, you'll be like me. Except, I doubt my employers would accept you." She seemed pleased by the thought.

I skid to a mid-air stop. Not because of the soul-body situation, or the time limit. No, it was her attitude. "Why do you hate me so much, Tetra? What'd I ever do to you?"

Her eyes were alive with the fire and passion of a mourning mother when she turned to me. Tetra's voice was tired and cracked, pleading for help. "Link is in agony. He has been, since you got pulled through the mirror."

"I thought you didn't know what his situation was," I whispered. The thought of Link's pain made me feel sick.

"I can feel his pain. His emotion. Maybe because I'm his mother. But he is in agony." Her eyes were hallow eves, looking at my soul in plain sight.

"I couldn't help but to leave! I tried to stay!"

"You could have killed Dark. Before he got the TriForce. You were just too scared to do it. At first, scared he'd expose your identity. But you knew you were strong enough!"

"That's a lie!" I hissed, angry at her accusation. Or, perhaps, angry at myself; because her words were so very true. I had second-guessed myself, all this time. I let Dark beat on me. I let him hurt me. _I let him hurt me!_

She sighed, floating to the ground of the Plain's outskirts. It was a long, vast island of a gray-rock. There wasn't anybody in sight, which was a very good thing. Tetra cocked a hip and folded her arms across her chest-it looked like it was out of habit. "Midna, I'm just trying to tell you that I'd prefer you not play with my son's heart."

"I'm not playing."

"Oh, really? Because it looks like you are."

"I'm in love with your son, Tetra. I'm sure of that." It hurt to be in love with him, because I wasn't with him. Agony. His agony. My agony. "And I will do everything I can to get back to him."

Tetra closed her eyes for a moment, breathing evenly and slowly. Then, she opened her eyes, smirked and winked at me. "Then let's go find some mirror shards."

* * *

We flew for what seemed like hours-through the dark and twilight-sunset stained skies, over the rocky islands. We were past the Plains, but not to the Darkness Clan just yet. Not no-man's land...it was a feared land, too close to the Darkness Clan to be considered safe. Fools go where angels fear to tread, I reminded myself.

"Do you have any idea of where we're going? Like, where the shards are?" I questioned, unsure of Tetra's course of action.

"Somewhat. I know Dark wouldn't hide it in the lands of the Twili...he knows you're too nosy. The Plains are flat. That leaves the Dark Lands. I know the layout fairly well-I scoped it out. I also know that we have one very, VERY good way of knowing where their most secure location is."

We had slowed, because we started to see the outline of the Dark City ahead. It was nothing more than boulders upon boulders, housing people and places. The rich smell of blood greeted us, already this far out. I winced. I hated how they practiced magic on each other. Black magic.

"Oh, really? How do we know that?"

Tetra gestured ahead, on the horizon. Two women-I assumed they were Geishas-leaned against the gates of the city, with no clothing on except fans glued over their more modest area. "They're easy to knock out...easy to put a soul in."

"Oh, so I'm just going to stand by while you do THAT?"

"Quite the opposite." Tetra looked at me, slipping back into her seemingly favorite pose-hip cocked, arms folded. And she winked at me.

Oh, crap.

**That's this chapter. :) I'm going to write some messages to people...then I'mma write another chapter. I enjoyed writing this a lot-and, by the way, for Tetra's "pose"...imagine her Windwaker pose when she fired Link in a cannon. :)**

**Reviews are welcomed!**

**-Lish**


	7. Chapter 6: Sentence to Ship

**Hiya! Writing another chapter-I sent out some messages to some of you, so check your inbox. :D**

**Woohoo! Got more inspiration for that chapter, too. I wanted to showcase Tetra's pirate-side from Windwaker, so I figured out how I could do that.**

**Music inspiration for this chapter: Wine Red by The Hush Sound, and A Dark Congregation by The Hush Sound. One of my new favorite bands, I suggest you check them out!**

**Here we go again. :D**

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"Tetra," I cautioned nervously, "Are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean, honestly, I have no experience with using Light Magic..."

"Psh. You'll be fine. You used it on Dark, didn't you?" She nodded at my hand that was still healing from Dark's rather obnoxious beating.

"Let me rephrase that-I have no control over this. And, what if they kill me?"

"They won't kill you. They can kill the body, not your soul. Because they can't touch you, remember?"

I huffed angrily in my protest. Tetra was insane. I made a mental note to tell Link he was probably better off with Uli as a mother, anyway.

"Any time now, Midna."

"Fine. You first."

Tetra grinned and hovered above the ground, flying towards the Geishas at the gates. I followed suit, just as fast but not as fluent in my pursuit. No use, anyway-the Geishas couldn't see or hear us, let alone touch us.

We were only a few feet away from them when we stopped. I observed them for a moment-they looked exactly the same, like looking into a mirror. Blackened skin with red markings on them, with startling scarlet hair that was hung in an A-line cut around their necks. They were exotic-ly thin and tall-even for being in the Twilight Realm. It shocked me-their beauty, that is.

"Which one?" I hissed.

"They look the same. Knock out the left one, I'll get the right one."

They were busily chattering. They wouldn't notice us...

I took a deep breath and tried to grasp at my power. I looked like I was struggling against myself-Tetra laughed, pleasantly amused at how hard it was for me to get my power ready. Finally, I found the light tear in my mind and my arm glowed brightly.

"Ready when you are," Tetra grinned.

I launched myself at the left girl, at the same exact instant Tetra took down the right one. There was no blood-only a slight hit on the head as they fell unconscious. I brushed my hand over the left girl's face, and she crumpled at my touch with a groan. Unconscious, not dead. A success, in my book.

"Not bad. Could have been faster," Tetra chided.

"Now what do I do?"

"Put yourself in the body. It's like slipping into a suit. You can do it-hurry, before the other one wakes up."

"You're helpful," I muttered sarcastically. Tetra laughed, and I hovered over the girl timidly. I concentrated on being soft-taking it slow. I didn't want to be rough. The girl was probably frightened, still.

I let myself glide into the body, and it felt so strange. Like her body was sucking me in-like I couldn't control it. I slipped into the body, my vision went black...and then my vision was hers.

My breathing hitched. _Good God._

"Tetra?" Her voice was rough and high. It scared me. "Tetra, can I hear you?"

_Relax,_ a voice in my mind whispered. I jumped, because it was not a physical voice. Like she was in the body with me. _Your spirit is still connected to mine._

_What do I call myself, smart one?_ I asked.

_Patide_. She answered. _Now, go cause some havoc. Go ahead, girl. Walk into someone's house and scream some random spell. Or knock something over. Something to get you in trouble._

"I don't want this body to die. This girl doesn't know what she's doing. She thinks this is the only way-she doesn't know the Twili are good. They're brain washing these people!" I whispered aloud. Tetra clicked her tongue in my mind. _I don't care. They'll never change and you know it. C'mon, hurry up._

I sighed aloud at the sorrow of the body, and then I walked into the city. It was not hard to find a place that I could destroy-right to my left was a boulder-shop. I walked in, and a shopkeeper who resembled a black & red lizard greeted me with a grunt.

I made direct eye contact, grinned, and then let out a wail and I jumped atop the counter. The shopkeeper made a grab for me, but I knocked over a shelf of potions of poison before he could. He grabbed my ankle, yanking me down to the hard ground. I bit his hand and screamed swears, like a crazy person.

Tetra was hysterically laughing in my mind as I fought the shopkeeper as weakly as I could-I didn't want to hurt him more than I had to.

"Guards!" His voice was raspy as he yelled as loud as he could. I continued struggling, and then a felt a pair of strong hands pull me off of him. I turned quickly, face to face with a man who was like Dark in appearance-shadowed all over, besides crimson eyes. He had a hard face with small eyes and a big nose, a grin stretched over his lips.

"What do we have here, sir?"

"She knocked over my shelves and attacked me!" The shopkeeper yelled. The guard gripped me tighter, and Tetra mentally gagged.

_I told you_, I thought.

_This is good, Midna. Showtime, now._

"What's your name, bitch?" The guard barked at me. I yelped in surprise of the hardness in which he talked with me.

"Patide," I spat.

"You're one of those hookers, huh?"

"And what of it?"

"You're going to be executed, now, so it's not going to matter."

A lump formed in my throat-not the body's, but my spirit. Tetra, look what you made me do! I told you, she's innocent. She doesn't deserve to die.

Tetra didn't respond-perhaps she didn't want to argue.

"Well, fine, then," I told him. "Get it over with."

"Oh, no. It'll be someone higher up the food chain. You're going to go to the palace and visit the Prince." The guard put his hand over my eyes, and I couldn't see anything anymore. He guided me away, and I lost count of my footsteps.

_Tetra,_ I whispered in my mind. I was wary now. _Who is the Prince?_

_I have no clue, _she responded. _If anything goes wrong, I'm here. I'm in my spirit form. I can help._

I felt the body go up the stairs, guided by the guard. _We're entering the Palace,_ Tetra told me.

_Are the shards going to be here?_

_Nope. It's not guarded enough._

_What? I need to get out of this body, then!_

_No, no. Just wait. They'll transfer you to a prison, I'm sure. Then we'll run._

I grunted mentally. I felt a whoosh of air as doors opened. I was walking on tile floor, I was sure of that. There was a bustle of noise, and another door was opened.

_Shit!_ Tetra called in my mind.

_What?_

_Midna, I've got to go. It's Dark. Dark's the Prince. I'll be waiting for you. I'll find you. Don't panic. Don't do anything stupid._

And then she was gone.

My breath hitched in terror. Dark was here. What if he could see me through the body? I had known this was a bad plan. Damn Tetra.

"Your Highness, this woman attacked a shop keeper. We will wait outside for your verdict."

"Very well." Dark's voice was bland and boring.

The hand disappeared from my eyes and I was shoved onto my knees. The room was made of stone, and Dark sat in a throne in the center. He grinned when he saw me, and I was afraid that he could see it was me.

"One of the hookers, I see. Tell me your name, wench."

The degrading way he spoke cut at me, and I wanted to snap back. But, I didn't. That wasn't something a loyal woman of the Darkness Clan would do, and I wouldn't blow my cover.

"P-Patide," I whispered.

"Why did you attack the shop-keeper?"

"I wanted to steal some poison."

"Why?"

"I wanted to practice self-destruction, sir. I've been sick for quite a while now, and the medicines aren't helping a bit."

"Why are you sick? What are you sick with?" He didn't sound the least bit concerned. The facade was getting even harder to keep up when he had an attitude like that. "Answer me."

"Self-doubt. I've started doubting the Darkness, sir."

A grin slowly stretched over his lips. "You wish to go to the Twili?"

"P-not at all, sir. No."

Dark slid off the throne and slowly stalked towards me. Angry flushed through me, but I hid it in my eyes with the emotion of fear. "You'll be sentenced to death tomorrow morning. But you're a pretty one...it'd be a shame to waste you away. It will be a shame, that is." His eyes were playful and powerful and he ran his hand down my face, other hand in my hair...

I lost it, then. I slapped him as hard as I could-the body had a lot of force in it. He flew across the floor and I grinned in satisfaction. Then, horror washed over me as I realized what I had done.

He slowly stood, eyes seething. "Guards!"

The doors behind me opened and two strong sets of arms grabbed me from behind. "Sir? The verdict?" The voice was female and rough.

"Take her to the vessel. Execute her _tonight_. I want her in the next shipment to the soil."

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**Cliff-hanger, I suppose. Not TOO bad, but it's...something. XD**

**Another chapter is on its way very shortly after this one! They were originally one chapter, but it was too long, so I spliced it in two. :D**

**Reviews, as always, are welcomed.**


	8. Chapter 7: Hope

**Not much to say here, except it's going to be a shorter chapter. The next chapter's going to be better, I promise.**

**

* * *

**

The arms dragged me out and I mentally swore. I'd feel forever guilty for having taken the life of this innocent, misguided girl. However, her sacrifice was greatly needed. We were heading down the palace steps, a pair of hands over my eyes again. My feet were clumsy, dragging and tripping every few steps. I was irritated and nervous-where was Tetra? Why couldn't I hear her in my mind?

I just counted in my mind-counted my steps. _1, 2, 3...120, 130..._

I had just gotten to one-thousand steps when a rope was placed in my hands. "Climb up and do not try to run." The hands slipped off my eyes and were quickly replaced by a fabric blindfold.

I grunted and pulled myself up the rope._ What was the rope connected to?,_ I wondered. My feet hit cold wood and I tried to decode what it was.

The guards pulled themselves up from behind me, grabbing ahold of me and dragging me along again. I heard lots of voices, and then I heard a door open. We walked for a long time, then we went down a set of stairs. Another hallway, a door opening, and then being thrown in.

"I'll stand guard." The female voice barked. I heard an agreement for the other guard. The door shut and the lock clicked shut. I reached up to pull the blindfold off and surprisingly didn't feel protest.

I turned and saw the guard-almost the same as the body I wore, except she wore a long suit and had long hair that dangled past her shoulders. A beautiful waste, she would have made quite a military member of the Twili.

"Midna, chill. You look like you're going to kill me." The voice turned casual and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tetra!"

"What, did you think that I ditched you?"

"Yep. You seem like the type that'd do that."

"Well, luckily, you're wrong. You've got a lot to learn," Tetra laughed, as if she knew something I didn't.

"Any ideas on how we're going to get out of here?"

"Well, first off...we're gonna have to ditch these bodies. Luckily, this guard happened to have the keys on her. So, we can use that to escape."

"What about this body?"

"She'll get...executed." Tetra paused thoughtfully at my expression. "Well...I could just hijack this ship."

"Ship?"

"It's the Darkness Clan's new idea of realm-wide domination. Easy transportation. Easy to dump bodies into the sky. It floats," She grinned, very delighted.

I was a little taken aback by the idea of a _floating ship_, but I didn't have much time to think about it. If it would give the people on this ship a running chance, then by all means, we'd do it.

"Deal. How the hell do I get out of a body?"

"Just slip out of it. You'll be fine."

I nervously felt my spirit press up against the body's edges, and then I let myself glide out of it. The body fell limp to the floor, and I was my Light-Form-Spirtself again. "Let's make an escape, then."

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"The hallway's clear," Tetra muttered as she glided next to me. "Hurry, though. The lunch break isn't going to last forever."

We soared through the teak-lined hallways of the ship, up sets of stairs and down corridors. "We're going to the Keep-to see if there's any supplies that will be helpful down there. I'm assuming that anything valuable-like the shards, for instance-will be the command-center of the ship."

We were in the very deepest level of the ship at that point, lit only by torches on the wall. There were more cell-rooms down here, which didn't surprise me. "We're almost there," Tetra whispered to herself, almost sounding like she was trying to encourage herself.

A piercing scream erupted from one of the doors. I looked at the door-_Private. Keep Out. Interrogation._ Another scream blasted through the door and I reached for the handle. Tetra yanked me back. "Don't. They'll kill her as soon as the door opens, even if they can't see you."

I grit my teeth, not moving. Tetra yanked me again. "The patrol is going to be back soon. We've got to hurry. Midna...you can't do anything for her now."

"My light magic would kill them," I hissed.

"And expose us. Don't. You know your plan has flaws. C'mon, Midna." I slowly turned from the door, looking at Tetra. I blocked out the screams from my mind.

"Let's get to the keep," I told her, voice shaking.

She flew down the hallway and I followed. We reached the end and she opened a door the the large room-crates upon crates of weapons greeted us eerily. I looked through every stack, and so did Tetra.

"Well, there's nothing here we can really use. Our magic fights for us, luckily..." Tetra trailed off as she read my expression and followed my gaze.

For the first time in a very, very long time...I felt hopeful. I felt like I had power-power that I could use to fight. I didn't have to always be the loser anymore. I had an advantage. It shocked me and stunned me at the same time, and tears of happy defiance rose to my eyes.

"A mirror shard," I whispered.

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**Yep! They've got one of the mirror-shards, for now. Aahhaa. Don't worry, Tetra's going to get her pirate-story in when they hijack the ship. :D**

**Reviews are welcomed. :)**


	9. Chapter 8: To Kill, To Test

**Another chapter...because, of course, I wanted to write some more of this story. But, there's some background information I'd like to clarify first, just because I realized it might be unclear from a reader's perspective:**

**When Dark took Midna through the mirror, he shattered the mirror into four pieces-two in the Light Realm, two in the Twilight Realm. Something in Midna awakened, but she didn't know how to completely handle the power. So, it split her in two-her soul, that is. The Twili/Shadow part of her that had been defeated by Dark, and her Hylian/Light part. The power of Light takes her under, but her Shadow powers are growing weaker with the presence of Light. Since the Twilight Realm is divided into "Countries" with Tribes, there is a part of the Twilight that is Darkness-the Darkness Clan. Twili, as a usual rule, can't go into the Darkness Tribe because they are untrusted with the Dark people; and because Shadow & Darkness do not agree. Midna's soul awakened as a Hylian when her spirit left her body when Abby tried to kill her. So...Midna's body is still back in her palace. It's her spirit that is doing the other stuff.**

**Just wanted to clear that up. :D**

I had it in my Shadow Storage. Safe, safe at long last. The Mirror Shard empowered me and made me realize I had a fighting chance-a chance to beat Dark. To at least escape.

If I could get back to the Light Realm...I could get help. Then, we could overthrow Dark.

"We've got to keep moving and keep focused," Tetra chided me. I nodded, eyes smug and at ease. I felt so...powerful. So invincible. Unbreakable.

So we ran through the hallways in our silent forms, completely ready for whatever challenged us. We ran up the flights of stairs until we were just beneath the deck. A spiral staircase in the corner went up to the Command Center, where the ship would be steered. And, the most secure point of the ship. Tetra quickly ran up the steps, then darted back down.

"Damn!" She cursed.

"What? What's wrong?"

"There's a treasure safe up there, for sure. It's guarded like hell, though. I thought the patrol had changed already...I know you don't want to kill 'innocents', so..."

"So what? Chill, Tetra. We'll just wait it out. Play checkers or something," I joked, still giddy.

Her eyes met mine and she shook her head slowly, conveying a no. "It's been twelve hours already. Your true body is probably already getting weak. I don't...I don't want to wait any longer. We need to get control, _now_."

"I'm not killing all those people, Tetra. They're people. People who are misguided. They still have a shot at escape! If we can just...get this ship away from the Captain's command, then they might see he was wrong all along!"

Tetra looked at me and frowned. "You're crazy, Midna. Fine. It's your body, not mine. This is the exact way I lost my body. If you don't wanna listen, that's fine. We'll wait eight hours. Take a nap or something. I'll wake you when there's a change. If it goes past eight hours, I'm going to fight them-with or without you."

"Fine, then."

I closed my transparent eyes and leaned against the wall in the corner, surprisingly comfortable. I slowly drifted off, flashes of my body back at the Palace filling my mind...until, of course, I was completely asleep.

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_"L-Link," I whispered gently. Pain was everywhere, and everything. I couldn't move most of my body; I was not able to move my legs. I was numb with the pain that was me. I had never thought I'd die this way._

_But I couldn't let Link be doomed, either. He had been so good for me. Doing everything I said, never questioning me. "P-Princess Zelda. G-get to Zelda."_

_He howled in response. Rail filtered down through the gloomy clouds, and he took off running through Hyrule Field, with me gently clinging to his back._

_Damn Zant, for knowing I'd end this way._

_Link tore apart the monsters on the bridge. He wasted no time, he just went for the throat. He was fighting a Moblin when I noticed it-the large monster-bird that hovered above him, eyes amused. Then, the bird's eyes clicked with the idea that Link was his prey._

_"No!" I rasped. I lifted my hand and tried to channel my Twili Shadow Magic, the kill the bird. A very weak drop of the magic spurted from my hand, not even harming the bird. It swung for Link-_

_An earsplitting howl filled the fields._

{}{}{}{}{}

I woke up gasping for breath, with Tetra's hand over mine, comforting me.

"What's wrong with Link?" She whispered.

"J-just a nightmare. And a memory," I gasped.

Tetra frowned, motherly once again. "It's been seven hours. We have five hours left to finish this, and the shift won't leave. We're going to have to attack, Midna."

"No. I will deal with the guard shift. I'll use Shadow Magic, their bodies should be more immune to it. If I exert just the right amount, it'll only knock them out."

Tetra frowned. "I don't like you trying to channel your Twili parts...it's-"

"It's who I am naturally. You deal with the Captain. I'll deal with the Guards, okay? If you're not good with that, then I'll fight you. Honest to Din, I will kick your bitchy little-'

She huffed impatiently. "Fine."

I grinned and stood. "Ready?"

"You first."

I darted up the stairs and quickly looked about the room. A man sitting in a throne, controlling the wheel of the ship. At least fifteen guards, ten of them guarding a small safe in the corner. I observed their faces, seeing if they were all in the Darkness Clan...

Then it hit me. "Tetra," I gasped, pointing at the man at the wheel.

Upon second look, it was not a man. It was a boy. A child, no more than the age of ten. Not even to full immortal maturity.

And we would have to kill him.

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**I know, I know. It seems like an odd twist, but you'll see why I had to do it in the next chapter.**

**Reviews, critiques, etc...very welcomed.**


	10. Chapter 9: Unexpected Danger

**I'm on an updating spree. I really like where I'm going with this story, and I want to get to a certain point before I stop.**

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"Use your Shadow Magic to knock him out," Tetra whispered.

"I can't use that _now_. The guards are all going to try and protect them. Clearly, he's special. A normal child would not be heading a military ship!" I hissed, frustrated. We kept hitting stone walls that blocked our path.

Tetra swore.

"We've got to wait till the guards change shift. Even if one leaves, it'll give us a better chance. Tetra, please." I paused and met her eyes. "I don't know what sick world you live in, and I don't _want_ to know. I know, you're sent from some Light Spirit or Goddess or some bogus Great Fairy to help guide me. I get that part, you came here for a reason. But I can't kill a child. Or kill guards trying to_ not_ to kill a child," I whispered.

"You are much, much too humane to be in the Twilight Realm." Tetra rubbed her forehead in frustration.

I sat down again. "We'll wait. If it gets to twenty-three hours, we'll give up and I'll go back to my body. Then, I'll phase out again."

Tetra sighed, angry. Her eyes flashed at me. "I'll do it myself."

I grabbed her hand and weakly shocked her with Twili magic, to prevent her from doing anything that dumb. She jumped back and then laughed. "Your Twili magic has gotten weak already, Midna...perhaps you will soon have to choose." Her face changed and she looked like she had said something she shouldn't have. "But I won't stage an attack without you, I suppose."

I settled down. "We'll listen in on their conversation. Might even help us."

"They're talking? I thought they were praying in gibberish or something."

"They're speaking in Twili."

"Oh."

Tetra shut up as I listened to them.

Two hours passed and all they talked about was pointless-they talked about what'd they do if they went to the Light Realm, what they thought of the recent updates to the landscaping of the Plains. They talked about the chemistry of poison-it got boring and complicated, and I took the chance to zone out and think about Link.

Then, I heard a name that sounded all too familiar.

Shit.

"Tetra," I gasped.

"What?"

"Dark's going back to the Palace. Now. He's on his way."

"Midna, I can't follow you!" She gasped. "He'll see me!"

I bit my lip for a long, hard second. I observed the room, looking where the guards' protection was spotty. They were all mainly centered around the safe-a good thing, I supposed.

"We only have a second. I don't know if this is going to work."

"Explain, hurry!"

"You said my Twilight Magic was weak. _How_ weak?"

"I dunno. If you were firing a low energy bolt, it'd probably feel like a bee sting...nothing too bad. Midna, what are you going to do?"

"Be quick about this. Don't ask questions, just do it. I'm going to go up behind the Captain and get a low voltage shock through him. Hopefully, it'll distract him. While I'm shocking him, slip into his body." Tetra opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. "No, you shut up now. It's my turn to show you can trust me. Just trust me. Anyway, get the guards away from the safe. Say you see a fight breaking out on deck or something. Pretend to have a seizure. I don't really care. Give me five seconds, I'll have the safe open and have the mirror shard. Get out of his body and I'll give you both mirror shards."

"Then what?" She breathed, still not believing my idea would work.

"Give me a few hours. Give me till dawn to sort things out and prepare myself. Then, I need you to...get me out of the palace. I don't know how, but do something. Smash in a window and I'll jump out. Have the mirror shards ready to go."

"What if Link doesn't have them ready on the other side?"

I didn't answer. "C'mon. We're wasting time. They're talking about me..."

The conversation turned morbid and sickly. They were repeating things Dark said...that he had in store for me. I resisted the urge to gag. "C'mon!" I leapt to my feet and walked up behind the boy. His throne wasn't as tall as I was, and I looked at his features.

Soft, baby-ish. An exact replica of Dark Link's features, but not as sharp-younger. I gagged again, and Tetra gasped.

"A clone," She whispered. I didn't hear what she said next, and I looked at her. "Just go! Do it!" Tetra winced, pained by some unseen force.

I put my fingers to his neck. "Ready on my count...One. Two..." I paused again, sorrow washing over me. He was just a boy. "So sorry...three!" I shocked him with as soft as I could, but I still felt his body convulse. Tetra zoomed into his body, and I stopped shocking him as soon as she disappeared.

The boy convulsed again-this time, the guards noticed. He made a gurgling noise, loud enough to be heard.

_GO!_ Tetra mentally yelled at me from the body. _He wasn't knocked out. He's fighting me inside his head. We're causing damage, Midna! NOW!_

With the guards uselessly panicking by the Captain, I knocked the lock off the safe with a bolt of Light magic and rummaged around. The sharp corners of something cut my fingers, and I lifted it up.

_The mirror piece._

I slammed the safe shut and clicked the lock back, threw the piece carefully in my shadow storage, and I heard Tetra slip from the body with a moan.

"After them!" The boy yelped, coughing. So, he had seen Tetra's intentions in his mind. Dammit all! I just hope he hadn't discovered we took the mirror piece.

The guards blindly stumbled after what they couldn't see. Tetra and I pressed ourselves up against the wall as they all ran down the stairs.

"We don't have time to hijack the ship," Tetra told me.

I gulped back the sorrow I felt for that. "I-I know. Tetra, thank you. For everything. Even though I think you're too bitchy for your own good, and that you accused me of trying to hurt Link-"

"It's not over yet. We've still got a fight to win."

"Right." I pulled the two glistening pieces from my storage. "Let's pray Link has the other two in place. Give me a few hours, then jailbreak me. I'll be quick. I'll make sure Dark doesn't follow."

"Good luck, Midna. Don't trip up."

I whizzed past her, down the stairs, and out the Plains. Dark already had a head start on me. I had to reach the Palace before he did-I had to get back in my body.

**

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I might do another chapter today...might not. For now, tell me what you've thought of the updates! Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 10: Determination

**So...another chapter. I'm happy with how it's going, but I have to give SOME suspense. So, I'll be switching to another POV...**

**With no further chit-chat, let's see how our friends in the Light Realm are doing!**

An eagle spread its perched wings and flew through the air, which was heavy with the mists of rain and fog. It glided against the winds and over the scaled rooftops of a grand castle in an even more grand kingdom.

The eagle flew past a tower-the highest town, shrouded in bows of clouds and fog. Lightning flashed and the eagle screeched.

Zelda admired the bird from her tower's window, infatuated with its strange beauty. It seemed so...determined...to fly in the stormy weather. She felt that it was either _very_ stupid, or _very_ wise.

She blandly looked at her hands-one of which held the Triforce of Wisdom. It glowed its faint gold-gray, shining into her eyes. Zelda sighed wistfully, thinking about the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Link, reportedly, hadn't been heard from in a while. He was grieving, which was only to be expected.

With a grim frown, she remembered the evening that he had witnessed Midna's..._kidnapping._

_

* * *

_

_"Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda!"_

_Zelda bolted upright in bed, looking out the large window in her stone-plaster room. The moon was full and bright-it had to be the middle of the night._

_The yelling outside her door continued and she rolled from the bed, dressed in her evening wear of a short and petite nightgown. Frightened by the commotion, she ran to the door. "Yes? What's the matter?"_

_"Princess Zelda, it's the hero! Link! He is in hysterics, he desires to see you!" It was a guard's voice, gruff and panicked. Gastavi, she remembered._

_"Send him in!" Her voice was that of concern. Why-why was Link coming to her in the middle of the night? Hadn't Midna told him that she was leaving?_

_The door rammed itself open and Link stood, eyes full of terror. A guard quickly shut the door behind Link, giving the two some sort of privacy._

_Link looked so...dead. His skin was gray and eyes full of agony, his hair shaggy and falling into his face._

_"Link! Good Din, are you alright?"_

_"M-Midna," He choked out._

_Zelda sighed, tinged by Link's anguish. "She...had to go back to the Twilight Realm. Link, I'm so sorry...she did it to protect-"_

_"I know that, Zelda!" Link's voice was angry and harsh, but still broken by sadness. "She and Dark were going through the mirror. I had come to say goodbye. . .and then, when they were dissolving into the portal, Dark fired a beam of magic at the mirror."_

_Zelda's mouth hung itself in a perfect circle of shock._

_"Midna tried to come back out. She pulled herself almost completely out of the portal and reached for my hand. I grabbed her, but it was too late. Dark pulled her into the portal...and the mirror was gone."_

_"Gone?" Zelda cried, chest aching._

_"I...I saw two pieces fly out into Hyrule. And two went through the portal."_

_"Link," She whispered. "Link...there's...there's not much of a chance she'll be able to get back through. I don't think Dark will..."_

_Link's stunning blue eyes met hers, and she felt all of his pain. "Zel. Please. She saved you and she saved me. We have to help her. We have to put the two pieces back."_

_"Link...even if we did, and Midna somehow managed to...I don't know if the connection can travel across the realms. Two halves of the mirror, in different realms...it could be like a looking glass. Flipped, and you can't touch the person on the other side."_

_"OR it could work," Link protested._

_Zelda looked down at her feet, not sure what to tell him. She was supposed to be wise-and be able to help the Hero in his time of need. "I just need your permission, Zel. Permission to take the Master Sword back out of the Sacred Grove. To go off on a quest again...alone, this time. And find the mirror shards."_

_The Princess of Hyrule very slowly met Link's gaze again. "As the Protector of Hyrule, you have my permission. Draw your weapon from the Grove. Find the shards." Link nodded once and turned to leave, trotting to her door. "Link!" Zelda cried. He turned and met her eyes. "Bring her home."_

_

* * *

_

She had not heard from Link in months-she figured that he was out searching. Perhaps it was in vain, but he was searching for the mirror shards until he found them. Maybe if he didn't find them, he would give up.

Zelda's chest ached again, thinking of Midna. Dark was just another usurper, and Midna was too stubborn to ask for help. She wished that Midna _had_ asked for help…the situation could have been avoided quite easily, before it had been too late to do anything.

Now, the connection between the realms was severed. It was quite possible that it could never be put back in place.

In a word, Zelda was happy that whatever destruction Dark was placing in the Twilight Realm could not seep into her kingdom. But, in the same instance, she knew that Midna's agony for the Twilight Realm was just as important Zelda's agony for her own.

But she did wish that Link would move on. She prayed every night that Midna was safe, and prayed that Link would somehow come to terms with loss. Zelda did not pry and give into her terror, letting the guards send themselves out to go find him. No, she gave Link his space. Only time would tell.

Sighing, she looked out the window again. Even though it was nearly as dark and gloomy as midnight, it could only be late afternoon. Zelda stepped down from her window sill and dressed in a conservative red dress—not that it would be seen, anyway. She didn't bother with messing with her golden hair that day—she just let it sit against her shoulders. She had cut it short for easier usage. Zelda quickly rummaged around her wardrobe and found the heavy black cloak of mourning that she had worn in the Twilight.

She felt that it was appropriate.

* * *

"Good evening, Telma."

She shut the door to the alley and entered the musty, sandstone structured bar. Zelda lowered the hood of her cloak, leaning against the bar counter and meeting Telma's eyes. "Ay, Zelda."

Zelda loved Telma for her magnificence of character. No nonsense, down-to-business, and bluntly humorous. "Gloomy outside, isn't it?" Zelda felt pathetic, making small talk.

"Very," Telma agreed.

"May I have a drink?"

Telma frowned. "Hon, I don't want to be the one held responsible for the Princess becoming a drunk."

Ashei politely waltzed in from the other room, where her small band of friends often gathered. "Hell, Telma. Make it two. I'll taint Zel here any-day."

Zelda also admired Ashei's wild personality. Quite a "tom-boy", so to speak.

Telma sighed, reaching behind the counter and pulling out a bottle and two mugs. She poured the whiskey into the cups and handed them to the girls. "Can't say I blame you gals, I miss him too."

Zelda sighed, taking a sip of the liquor. Drinking never helped anything, but she liked to pretend that it did. "He loved her."

Ashei and Telma were well aware of the situation, of course. They knew that Link had loved Midna. Zelda spared them the gory details of the story, but they knew Midna had been forced to leave. "Of course he did. And he's gonna find those mirror-thingamabobs—or, at least, he'll look in every place under Din for them."

The women sat in silence, sipping whiskey and not bothering to speak. Their silence spoke for them.

"I suppose I had better go," Zelda quietly whispered after what seemed like an eternity.

"I'll have somebody walk you home, gal. It's gotten after dark."

"If you insist, Telma."

"I'll take the job," Ashei grinned, hopping off the bar stool. "Maybe we'll get lucky and someone will go crazy and try to attack you. I'd love to show off my defense skills." Her humor was well-played, and Zelda managed a small smile.

As they started to walk out, Telma yelled behind them, "Hey, you! Mailman, wake up. I gotta mop the floor."

"Ugh, sure, Telm…HEYYY! WAIT!"

Ashei and Zelda froze in place, turning around. The bizarre mailman ran up to them dramatically. "PRINCESS ZELDA!"

"I'm right here, there is no need to shout," She muttered.

"I have one letter for you!"

Ashei's eyes widened and Telma gasped. The mailman handed her the letter and sighed. "Onward to mail!" He yelped, dashing through the bar door.

The bar was silent. The letter was stiff in Zelda's hands.

"Hon, if you don't open that, then I will," Telma warned.

Zelda tore at the envelope. A letter floated into her hands.

_Zelda,_

_ I'm on my way to your castle. _

There was no signature to the rather abrupt letter, but uncensored joy filled Zelda. "Yes!" She screamed.

"What?" Telma and Ashei yelled.

"Link! Link is coming the castle."

"What? Is he okay?"

Zelda hurriedly pushed to the door. "I must go. Thank you two ever so much—and, Telma, I shall repay you for the drink." She hurried out into the rain, ignoring their calls from the bar.

Link was coming back.

But the way she felt…it was like he was coming _home._

She had barely made it into her castle throne room when the guards came running at her. "Princess Zelda! Princess!"

"Yes?" Zelda could not contain the excitement in her tone.

"Sir Link has arrived!"

Her pupils widened and she resisted the urge to scream like a child getting a new toy. "Where is he?"

"In the Royal Lounge. We hope you don't mind—he looked very worn, so we sent him someplace comfortable."

"Of course I don't mind, sir! He is the Hero, after all, he is practically royalty." Zelda, not desiring to wait any longer, breezed past the guard and gracefully blurred down the halls. The royal lounge was a comfortable sitting room, usually used for casual meetings. Zelda reached the door, straightened herself, and flung open the door.

"Link!"

And there he was—gorgeous as he was in his hero-like glory. He was an attractive man—sandy, shaggy blonde hair with streaks of brunette. He was tall and built, wearing a dark blue tunic that had been gifted to him by a seamstress—so he didn't have to wear out his Hero's tunic. His skin was milky and tanned, but battered by small battle scars in places. His face was sharp and alert, but Link's eyes were the most captivating. They were a perfect fairy blue, the deepest cyan one could ever have seen. Legendary eyes for a legendary man.

"Zel," He breathed.

"Goddesses, I was so worried. You have been reckless, Hero, not to request my aid." She bit her lip, waiting for the news of his journey. Had he found what he was looking for?

"Do you have any important meetings soon, by chance?" Link grinned at her crookedly—smugly, almost. He was drawing out the news.

"No, none at all. My schedule is clear. Why?"

"Because, I'm dragging you to Arbiter's Grounds."

"You—you mean...you did it? You found the Mirror pieces?"

Link grinned even wider, the smugness fading into joy. "I did! I did it, Zel, and Midna's going to come back."

Zelda's expression faltered ever so slightly. A small sadness and worry filled her, and her Triforce flashed—Link needed a tiny bit of guidance in situations like that. "Do not overestimate the odds, Link. I do not want to see you hurt so badly again. We are not sure this will work, and we don't know if Midna has the other pieces in place."

Link sighed and gave Zelda a look that simply commanded, _don't kill my buzz._ Zelda nodded, flustered and slightly embarrassed. "I will have two horses prepared to take us to Lake Hylia tomorrow. When the mirror was fragmented across the realms, the warp portals disappeared. The journey might be more than we bargained for!"

"I'm ready. I'll run by Malo Mart early tomorrow and stock up on supplies. And I have Epona—I'd prefer to use her as my stead, if that's alright."

"Certainly. Oh, and your friend—Ilia, I believe?-has been writing to the Castle, she is rather concerned. Please, write a letter to your village explaining that you are just off on another quest."

Link sighed once again, slightly annoyed—but warmed that his village cared for him. "Alright, I suppose. I can sleep in here."

"Nonsense. You can sleep in a guest chamber."

And the feeling of joy did not disappear from the castle—for once, a small scent of hope was present in the air. At the same time, Zelda felt a small bit of wariness. When there is a portal to the other realm, there is unhappiness with the Goddesses, and there is always a war to be fought. If _Midna_ could get through the mirror...

Zelda gulped in terror at the next thought. _If Midna can get through, then Dark can follow._

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** I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I certainly did enjoy writing this chapter, that's for sure.**

** Inspirational music: Weeping Willow, by The Hush Sound & Lighthouse by The Hush Sound. Very good band. **

** Reviews & constructive advice=welcomed. **


	12. Chapter 11: The Eternal Desert

**Hello, everybody. Just here for our friendly neighborhood disclaimer.**

**I do not own Nintendo. So I don't own Legend of Zelda. Period.**

**Also, a side note. This chapter takes place about a month after the last chapter. **

**Enjoy. :D**

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It had been one month since he had put the Mirror Pieces in place—one month to that day. A month in the desert, which was taking its toll on Link's soul.

Zelda had gone back to Hyrule Castle two weeks ago. In Link's mind, she had given up. He didn't resent her for it, but he knew that he had to stay. He did feel guilty about making Zelda make the harsh journey back by herself—in order to get out of the desert, one had to climb the steep hillsides back to Lake Hylia. Zelda did insist that she could handle it.

But, Zelda had plead for Link to come back to Hyrule.

And Link had refused.

In his mind, it was simple. He had the ability to withstand emotional and physical strains more so than most people—perhaps because of his ranch-life upbringing, or maybe it had to do with being the bearer of the Triforce of Courage.

Either way, Link knew that he was staying in that Goddess-forsaken desert. He had more than enough supplies and food to last him—plus, he could always _hunt_ if he needed to. There were the bigger-than-average sand worms that could easily be cured into jerky, or he could kill a bull. There was a well of water within Arbiter's Grounds.

The Arbiter's Grounds had proven a shelter to him. On bitterly cold nights, he would seek refuge in the long-deserted prison—not that it was very comfortable, but it was certainly an experience. He felt more attuned to the history of his realm when he was in the temple-prison...perhaps that was a good thing, but perhaps it was bad. He couldn't tell.

The days were short, yet tiring. He had an ocarina, and he took pleasure in playing it all day long. He'd usually fall asleep against the mirror pedestal—not comfortable, but it was workable. If Midna came back, he'd be the first to greet her.

And that was that.

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** ...short chapter, yes. VERY short chapter. But, it was pretty...needed. Hope you enjoyed!**


	13. Chapter 12: Left To Do

**I know, I know. An updating spree—crazy. But I'm inspired, so...let's pick up in the Twilight Realm!**

_**As Link waits in the Gerudo Desert, hoping for Midna's return; Midna splits up from Tetra and races back to her body in the palace, hoping Dark won't catch her.**_

**(Quick side note: In math-terms...Midna's SPIRIT is about 95% Hylian as of now. The Hylian Light power inside of her has pretty much wiped out the Twili part of her. Her body, however, is still completely Twili. Which isn't a pleasant feeling for her.)**

**0000000000000000**

Everything Tetra had said suddenly made a whole _hell_ of a lot of sense.

Whispers and fragments of memories back to me—Tetra speaking to me. _"Your Shadow Magic is getting weak...perhaps you will soon have to choose."_

I hadn't realized how much of a strain had been put on me—the fact that my soul was very nearly _completely_ Hylian was tearing me in two. As I slipped back into my body, consciousness came back to me slowly. Sickness filled me—a nearly _pure_ Hylian soul inside of a Twili body...it was awful to endure. Hylian and Twili were not physically compatible. I realized how little Twili was inside of my spirit—my Twili magic would not do _any_ damage any more—and with that, my eyes shot open.

Pain was everywhere—pain was everything. I was so weak. My body ached in ways I had not known possible—inside, I felt the strength and foreign feeling of my newly awakened Hylian soul—but physically, I was so _sick._

A lurching gasp convulsed my body.

"My Lord!" The voice belonged to Abby, that _bitch_ of a blacksmith that Dark had hired to watch over me. I silently snorted in amusement of the irony—Abby had knocked me out and allowed my Hylian spirit to awaken, to allow the Hylian power inside of me to nearly _fully_ extend. "Your Midna has awakened."

"Very good, Abby. You may leave now." I heard his lips brush hers, and I easily felt the urge to gag. Terror filled me as I heard Abby's footsteps leave, replaced by heavier footsteps. I heard the door slam, and I looked up.

Dark walked towards me, advancing like a predator. And suddenly, I understood—_I was the prey._

"Did you really think you could get away with it?" Dark laughed.

My eyes went wide, and I was horror-struck. He _knew._

"I saw your spirit rush to your body. You are not clever enough to fool me, my bride."

I felt sick again, and my stomach lurched. "You worthless fuck!" My voice was harsh, yet quiet. So very weak. "I will _never_ marry you."

"Give me the mirror shards, my Midna," He purred.

"I don't have them, my dumb bastard," I countered. I tried to stand, but I couldn't. I was so weak, so fragile. If he hit me, I couldn't stop him. Perhaps I could try and use my Light Magic—I wasn't sure how it would work, channeling light magic through my Twili form...

Dark pursed his lips, sensing the truth to my words. He snapped his fingers, and a mirror appeared in his hands. "Look at your reflection. Whatever you did in your spirit form, it's transformed you back to your normal self."

He was right. I looked in the mirror, and saw my body back to its fully Twili state. So _that's_ why it hurt so much—my body was no longer split. Even in the reflection, I looked slightly ill. "Why would that even _matter_ to you, you turd?"

"Oh, because it means I can marry you again. In public, for all of my people to see."

"They are _my_ people and they always will be. Don't fool yourself, your ego is already too big."

Dark chuckled. "Your magical Twilight aura is so very weak, Midna. You couldn't fight me now if you tried."

Obviously, he didn't sense my Light Powers.

"Are you planning on attacking me?"

"You did go off without permission. I think that deserves some form of punishment." He smirked at me, and he winked. I wasn't expecting him to hit me, but he did. Dark struck me so hard that a brittle sob escaped my lungs, and I fell to the floor. The blow felt much worse than it should have.

I got up again, though—I couldn't let him hurt me. I weakly started to crawl away.

Dark grabbed me by my hair and I yelped. I felt so defenseless and broken again, forgetting all about the powers I had inside of me. I struggled feebly and I suddenly had an idea—panicking, I let a scream pierce the air. Dark winced, but smirked, and crushed his lips to mine.

Struggling more fiercely than _ever_ to get myself away from the fucker, I delivered a well-placed kick to his crotch. He jumped back in pain, growling as he did.

"My Midna, that simply wasn't nice." His voice was so mocking and haunting, it made me sick. I tried to channel my Hylian Light magic, but my body protested heavily. Dark snapped a spell and levitated me up to the ceiling, grinning all the way. I shot a beam of Shadow magic at him, but it was so pathetically weak. When it hit him, it ran straight through him—like a passing breeze.

Dark laughed and dropped me.

The floor hit me hard, and my stomach lurched. I vomited and tried to crawl away.

He kicked me in the side, and anger flared inside of me. I would not be degraded like I was some sort of _dog._ No, I was better than that.

_So much better than that._

I felt the power surge inside of me, and another scream flew past my lungs. It was loud and effective—I heard the glass of my window _ringing—_and Dark flew back in shock.

_Wherever you are, Tetra, I hope you heard that._ The thought was more of a prayer than anything else.

"Do you really plan to fight, Midna? This is not a fight that you are able to win." Dark shot a beam of magic at me and he cringed. "Perhaps you need to reconsider your reasoning, my beauty. Why are you fighting so much?"

"Because you are a sick and perverted _bastard_, and you're no better than King Fish Face—" I grinned bitterly at Link's old nickname for Zant, "Also known as the fallen usurper, Zant."

"And yet your people do not seem to think so. And you have been appointed to marry me. It is our throne to share—will you be the one to disobey your people, Midna?" Dark smirked at me, and I tried to drag myself to my feet. Oh, yes, I would fight. I would fight him to the death. Anger and confidence flared inside of me-

A knock on the door cut our fight short. "Prince Dark, there is a man here who claims his fleet was robbed!"

A very bad word ran through my head as the guard at the door spoke. The guard nervously eyed me, on the floor, and his face became flustered. "I am sorry to have interrupted," He noted.

Dark grinned wickedly and I gagged. He nodded at the guard, "I am coming, I shall speak with the victim of the robbery." Dark pulled me to my feet and "adoringly" messed with my hair. "Get some rest, my dear." He pressed his lips to mine and I quickly kneed him in the crotch once again.

"Careful, _darling_," Repulsion caused my voice to shake. "Because if I have to keep kicking you, you won't be carrying on the bloodline to any children."

Dark rolled his eyes and left the room. As soon as the door was shut, I bit my lip and let blood wash out the taste of his mouth on mine. A slight panic filled me—I knew that the victim of the robbery would complain about the missing mirror shards...

I gulped. _Now or never,_ I thought. I grabbed a small, stone carved statue from my nightstand. I had to signal for Tetra's help, and quickly.

Taking one last look at the room, I hurled the stone at the window.

The glass came shattering down in an ear-piercing noise, and I heard frantic footsteps in the hallway. "My lady?"

I raced to the door and locked it, trying to signature the deadbolt with some of the shadow enery I still possessed. That could hold the guards off for a few moments—at best.

I looked frantically at the broken window. I saw no sign of Tetra—would I be able to see her, in her spiritual form?

I silently prayed for a moment, all the panicked emotions alive inside of me. I tried to tap into my Light Magic—to ready myself to fight, if it came down to that.

Then, I heard the roar of defiance in the hallway. "You cowardly _bitch!_" It was Dark's voice—angry, loud, and strong. I realized that I was out of time, and I looked out the window. My window of the palace was a sheer drop-off into the sky—there was no land for quite a stretch. I gulped.

"Prince Dark! Are you alright? Why do you speak lowly of Princess Midna?" The guards outside of my door—they were concerned.

"Out of my way, useless swine!"

I heard the sharp sounds of magic bolts being fired, and then _thumps_ as bodies hit the floor.

Anger and horror filled me. I filled my lungs with air as my door started to shake, magic disbanding the lock-

Piercing screams fled from my lungs, out the window. _"Help! Somebody help me!_"

The door broke open.

Footsteps ran into the room.

I turned, slowly, and looked at Dark with a grim frown on my face. I had no clue where Tetra was, and I had no clue how to use my Light Magic.

"You refuse to surrender the shards to me, you coward?" Dark spat. His face was nearly demonic, and dark bolts of magic lingered on his fingertips.

"Not a chance," I grinned tightly.

And so there was only one thing left to do—fight.

**Cliff hanger! Cliff hanger! Mwahaha. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. :D **


	14. Chapter 13: No Time Left

**This chapter STILL isn't going to be the last one...I think there will be two more chapters after this one—perhaps three, but more likely I'll keep it down to two. The next installment (the final one!) is either going to be Mercy's Shadow, Death's Shadow, or War's Shadow...I'm taking votes! :D**

**With that said...enjoy.**

"_With your life on the line...will this fire consume or refine?"-Justice & Mercy, by Flyleaf_

**000000000000000000**

I heard the clamors of commotion out in the hallway. "Open the _door_, Princess Midna!" A new batch of guards was out there. "Midna, are you hurt?" The guard pressed. "You cannot hope to fight him!"

The door shook as the guards outside tried to open it. It was futile, however, and Dark sent an energy barrier expanding over the door. No amount of force could ever hope to open that door.

I gulped, nervousness and adrenaline boiling up in my blood. Dark looked at me and grinned, quickly flashing a movement that blurred in my vision. A bolt of shadow magic fired at me and I dodged part of it—the rest of its force hit me in the side, knocking me to my feet.

"Ugh," I moaned, yanking myself to my feet. The large force of shadow magic tried to internally damage me, meeting with the Light Magic inside of me. The feeling was sickening, and my expression faltered. _Dammit all! C'mon!_ I screamed at myself mentally. _Use your power, for Din's sakes!_ I tried to summon the Light Magic to the surface of my body—to push past the barrier of my skin—and it wavered, like a tinkling of a fairy...

Dark lunged at me, electrifying me with Shadow Magic. It jolted against the Light Magic inside of me, tearing me in two once more, and I screeched. Dark grabbed me by the throat and pinned me up against the wall.

"Now can you see?" He demanded. "Light and Shadow can _never_ co-exist in a weakling such as yourself!_"_

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I told those words to my body, ever so calmly ripping through the memories of my time in the Light Realm. _Can't be, can't be, Light and Shadow can't co exist. _I finally got to the memory of Link's face at the mirror chamber as Dark pulled me through the portal..._can't co exist._

And then, two things happened. Both of which I felt. One was the Light Magic inside of me, and the other was a spiritual form entering the room. The Light Magic in my body broke past my skin, openly flowing—_defying_ Dark's words. He jumped back from the voltage shock, and I grinned impishly. "You're wrong, once again, pathetic fool," I laughed.

A vase came flying at Dark from the other side of the room. It hit him head-on, the glass shattering in an explosion of shards.

Dark was on the floor for all of two seconds, but it was long enough for me to look across the room.

Tetra grinned at me in her translucent beauty. "I told ya I wouldn't leave you."

Dark jumped up and turned to her. "Oh, how pathetic. The dead mother of the Hero, trying to fight the forces of evil." He then turned to me. "You fight me with Light Magic and expect it to mortally injure me...but Midna, you forget." He held up his right hand and the Triforce of Power awakened, glowing in its force. "You cannot fight fire with fire, you forget."

Tetra hissed from across the room and hurled a wave of Light Magic at Dark. He easily dodged it, however.

"And now, I shall finish both of you pests once and for all—with a power none of you could have ever sensed possible."

I raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead and try."

"Ahh, my Midna. It is you that showed me this power, though. Do you not remember injecting Link's Triforce with Shadow Magic?"

Tetra gasped in anger from across the room. I looked at her face—the face of betrayal—and tried to plead with her. "If I didn't do it, Dark would have killed him! I had to do it-"

"How could you ever be so damn reckless?" Tetra yelled, fury in her features.

Dark rolled his eyes and pulled the Fused Shadows out of his Shadow Storage.

"NO!" I roared. "Tetra, stop him!"

I lunged for Dark, firing off wave after wave of Light Magic at him. Tetra did the same from across the room, and I met with his barrier.

_I'll either get those Fused Shadows or die trying,_ I thought. I made contact with the barrier and an electric pulse shocked me, but I did not let up my force.

Dark did not put the Fused Shadow helmet on his head, but rather he started to shrink them—so small that they could fit in his palm—and he grinned. A dark Twili power radiated off of the Shadows, and he hovered it about his Triforce.

Like lightning flashes, dark beams of Twili magic pulsed throughout the Triforce. The tips of the shrunken Fused Shadows touched the glowing Triforce—

A high pitched keening sound filled the room as Tetra broke the barrier. The gust of her spiritual energy threw Dark off his feet, and the Fused Shadows slipped from his grasp.

I grabbed them and threw them into the safety of my Shadow Storage. Tetra's eyes were huge. "I wasn't allowed to do that, I wasn't supposed to interfere physically." Her expression was that of horror and pain, and I couldn't comprehend her words—why wasn't she supposed to interfere? "GO, Midna! He won't be down for long!"

Dark writhed on the floor and Tetra's spirit struggled to use spiritual force to hold him down. "You_ wench!_" He screamed.

"Tetra—"

Tetra looked at me, the fierce determination in her eyes overpowering all the other emotions. She very softly murmured a spell, and I felt the weight of the Mirror pieces transfer into my Shadow Storage. "Thank you, Tetra. I won't let you down."

I darted from the room, breaking down the door in the hallway. Two very shocked guards looked at me. "Princess Midna—"

"Restrain Dark at _all_ costs! Vicki Va'Hi is in charge while I'm gone! Do you understand?" My voice was frantic, and I didn't wait for a response. Vicki Va'Hi was a very skilled archer who had pretended to be a man in a previous war, so she could be on the front line. She was engaged to a man on the council and she would know what to do to restrain a war from breaking out

My feet hammered down the hallway and I was almost to the Palace doors. So very close to freedom. I heard bolts of magic, screams, and explosions behind me—fear struck me, hard and cruel, and I knew I was nearly out of time.

"Not so fast!"

Abby stood in front of me, sword drawn, blocking the doors.

"I don't have time for a cheap smelling whore like you!" I hissed. There was no time for tactics—it was time for a hard, fast, and dangerous type of combat. I lunged at her at the same time she lunged at me, and I felt the _pang_ of her sword hitting my skin. I tried to wench it away from her, but to no avail—she clung to it like a lifeline.

I had no time to use the Fused Shadows—my only real shot at Twili Magic—and so I let the current of Light Magic flow over my skin. My stomach spun and my vision blurred—tearing me in two, _again._ But I didn't care.

I hit her with a hard, long wave of the magic, but she was just as fast. Her sword pierced my side and I screamed in agony, but I couldn't let up.

Abby fell to the floor, the Light Magic subsiding. _So even the Twili immortals aren't immune to Light Magic, _I thought.

"Oh, Midnaa!"

Dark's voice.

I flung open the Palace doors and raced across the courtyard. Black rain splashed down and I felt the blood pool in my side, where Abby had hit me. The courtyard was empty—hauntingly empty.

I heard Dark's voice echoing in the distance. I gulped—I heard no pursuit behind him. Was it possible that he could have killed Tetra's _spirit ?_

And what had she said about her not being allowed to interfere?

I had to ask her—I had to get some answers.

Dark's footsteps sounded in the palace, and I sprinted across the courtyard. There was no time to mess around, or see if Tetra had made it. Dark would catch me soon—panic struck me at the thought of that, and determination to finish what I had started filled me.

I reached the mirror pedestal quicker than I would have expected and my side throbbed.

I pulled the mirror shards out of my Shadow Storage—I had no time to mourn what could have happened to Tetra—and threw them into place.

A _clinking_ sound echoed across the courtyard, and a bolt of magic thrust me to the ground. The Shadow Magic was bitter in my body and I gagged, struggling to my feet.

A white and holy light erupted from the mirror, and a staircase appeared.

Dark roared from across the courtyard.

I had no time left to think, to wonder, or to worry. No time left to feel pain, no time left to feel sorry. I raced up the stairs and lurched through the portal.

Everything went black.


	15. Chapter 14: Drop Off

**Well, I went to sleep at about ten o clock or ten thirty last night. A good and usual summer-sleep time for me. I usually sleep till 8, but at 4:50 AM, my mom decided to get up. Her room is right next to mine, so of COURSE I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep...**

**Enough of my ranting. Light Realm perspectives this chapter.**

It was gonna be a cold night—Link knew that as soon as the harsh desert sun set over the distance of the sand dunes. A bitter air settled upon the Mirror Chamber, and he shivered lightly. Link _had_ packed a cloak, in case of a night like this.

For some reason, he felt the same that night as he had felt when he and Midna spent a night camping on the drop-off. He frowned at the mirror—it was when they were looking for Arbiter's Grounds...

_ "Okay, okay, it's way too COLD! Isn't this supposed to be a desert?" Midna complained from his shadow. Link laughed lightly. "And what's with this sand-worm thingies?"_

_ "Sorry they're annoying you, Mid."_

_ "Yeah, so am I."_

_ "You getting tired yet?"_

_ "Sort of. It's gotta be the middle of the night, we've been running around for a long time. Where IS this place?"_

_ Link sighed, letting his jog trop to a slow halt. He pulled out his map—ancient and withered—and fumbled with it for a moment. He pointed at a few small dots and squares on the map. "Looks like it could be a ruin, but I bet that's our place."_

_ "So where are WE?"_

_ He again sighed, for reasons unbeknown to Midna. "We're at the drop off."  
_

_ "Drop off?"_

_ "End of the world."_

_ Curious, Midna leaped out of his shadow and looked at the map. "You mean...we're at the very edge of the map?"_

_ "Yep."_

_ "Eek. That's creepy in so many ways, dog breath."_

_ "Not really creepy, just unsettling. It's not the drop off you've gotta worry about. There are neighboring kingdoms at certain points—just beyond those hills, for instance, is a kingdom of vast desert. I dunno what it's called."_

_ "Doesn't Zelda keep up the royal appearance and visit them?"_

_ "I wouldn't know. All I've heard about other kingdoms is that not all of them are exactly...welcoming...to strangers. It's not usually advised for a Hylian to camp near the drop-off for that reason."_

_ Much, much later in the night, Link and Midna settled down to the cold sand near the drop off, somewhat huddled together for warmth. They got up early the next morning and ventured on—away from the coldness of the edge of the world._

Link sighed and shook it off. _Be a man,_ he thought to himself. He wrapped himself in the cloak and huddled up on the base of the mirror, lulling himself into a sleep—dreaming of the mirror ever so slightly starting to glow...

_Wait._ He bolted upright.

The mirror pieces were pulsing with light. They'd fade back to their slate gray, and then bounce to a glowing gold-white, over and over. Finally, they settled upon gold and designs appeared. The magical force of it threw Link away, and he landed on the ground several feet away.

"What in the name of Farore?"

**Short chapter! Just wanted to establish what was happening in the Light Realm before goin' on to Midna's chapter.**

**Reviews, flames, and muffins are very welcome. :D **


	16. Chapter 15: Joy and Pain

**Hello, everybody.**

**I don't want to have an extra-long, soppy author's note…but, at the same time, I need to.**

**Love's Shadow has reached its end. Sad, but true. I have enjoyed writing this in sooo many ways! You reviewers with accounts, reviewers without accounts, and all you READERS out there…you guys rock. It means so much to me when people read my writing. :D**

**So, there is one more story after Love's Shadow. I haven't a clue what to call it yet, but it will be awesome (hopefully!).**

**Check out my co-write story "Goodbye, Hello". There are two other writers besides myself—Shadow Commando & The Twilight Princess Kitty. I write for Midna's POV, Commando writes for Link, and Kitty writes for Zelda. It's quite interesting to see how the three of us (with each our own writing styles!) handle each character. Check it out!**

**Enough of the chit-chat. Enjoy. :D**

Pain.

It does not disappear or fade, whether you are in the Twilight Realm or in the Light Realm.

Sorrow.

It does not leave your body.

Joy.

It does fill your mind.

I lurched through the mirror, the Light Magic feeling so…_familiar _to me. It did not make me sick, like the Twili magic that Dark had wounded me with. It did not harm me, or tear me in two. It simply felt natural.

My eyes were wide and strained. My body ached with the stab wound that Abby had gifted me with, my skin itched with the sting of pain that came with the fight I had endured with Dark. I was so very tired, so very hurt, so very sad.

Moonlight splashed down on the base of the mirror in the Light Realm. It was so quiet in the desert, yet so serene. It was a beauty I had searched for in the Twilight Realm, but had not found.

"M—Midna?"

I turned.

And I saw his eyes.

"Link," I breathed. The pains of my body did not disappear, as they would have in a perfect fairy tale. No, my pain and anguish and mourning all remained, but joy washed in amongst those emotions. Bright and wonderful joy.

He looked just the same as I remembered, and I was so glad. Sandy, shaggy blonde hair against tan skin and a built yet tall frame. His tunic was not the same color—perhaps he had personal reasons for not wearing the Hero's tunic. But his eyes…the eyes of the Sacred Beast from my legends, the piercing smoky blue eyes…

My footing scrambled and my vision blurred. Blood loss was taking its toll upon me.

His arms caught me. They did not harm me or scold me, like Dark's. It felt so strange. "Less than a year," I sobbed in a whisper. Link choked on a sob as well, holding onto me like a lifeline. "I promised and I kept that promise, dog boy."

"I didn't doubt you, Midna." Link looked at me, glanced at my wounds, and gasped. "For the love of Din, what happened?"

"L-long story, I don't think you could keep up." My vision went in and out of focus. I would fall unconscious soon, I was sure. Part of me didn't really mind that.

I was about to go under—to rest, finally safe in my _home_…to recover, to wake up to a better reality than what I had ever hoped for. To be safe.

And then I heard the sharp in take of breath, and I looked up. Link's expression slid into a growl. I followed his gaze and bit my lip. "What? What does this mean—"

A very bright light filled the mirror chamber and a menacing laugh sounded.

"You were followed."

**Cliff-hanger? Yes.**

**Tell me what you thought of this. Even if you don't have an account on Fanfiction, you can review my stories. I'd be glad to know what you all thought.**

**Also…third installment of the TriShadow series is going to be posted (hopefully) by August 5****th****. HOPEFULLY. I want to take my time with it. I'm stuck with what to name it, though, so perhaps you all could vote?**

**Death's Shadow**

**War's Shadow**

**Mercy's Shadow.**

**Tell me which one you think should be the title. :D**

**Thank you all so much for reading this story. It means the world to me. **


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